DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS

Congratulations 2025 Honorees

Congratulations to our 2025 ASEC Distinguished Alumni: Julie K. Deering, Stacey A. Hartley, and Melissa Huppert.

Everyone is welcome to attend the awards presentation and ceremony 2 p.m. Friday, September 12, in Creighton Hall of Animal Sciences, room 1042.

Successful nominees for the Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication (ASEC) Distinguished Alumni Award will have demonstrated excellence in industry, academia, governmental service, or other career endeavors through their leadership, community service, and professional accomplishments.

Nominees will have earned a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in Agricultural Communication, Agricultural Education, or related field from either the Purdue University Department of Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication or Youth Development and Agricultural Education.

2025 HONOREES

Julie K. Deering

Full-service communication business; U.S. Soybean Export Council

Owner; Consultant

(B.S., Agricultural Communication, 2005)

Stacey A. Hartley

Tipton Community School Corporation

Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor

(B.S., Agricultural Education, 2001; M.S., Youth Development and Agricultural Education, 2003)

Melissa Huppert

Minnesota State Engineering Center of Excellence, part of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

STEM Outreach Director

(M.S. 2012, Ph.D., 2015, Youth Development and Agricultural Education)

2024

Bryan Hains

Department of Community and Leadership Development, University of Kentucky

Professor of Community and Agricultural Education

(Ph.D., Youth Development and Agricultural Education, 2007)

Duane Huge

Mentoring Indiana Beginning Agriculture Teachers program

Program Coordinator, Retired Agricultural Science and Business Teacher

(B.S., Agriculture (Agricultural Education), 1985)

James G. Myers

Simon/Myers

Partner and Chief Creative Officer

(B.S., Agricultural Communication, 1983)

Abigail Borron (M.S., Youth Development and Agricultural Education, 2007; Ph.D., Youth Development and Agricultural Education, 2012), Associate Professor at University of Georgia, Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication

Aaron McKim (B.S., Agricultural Education, 2010), Associate Professor and Program Lead, Michigan State University, Department of Community Sustainability

Travis Park (B.S., Agricultural Education, 1996; M.S., Agricultural Education, 2002), Professor of Agricultural Education, North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Tony Carrell (B.S., Agricultural Education, 1984), Purdue Extension Specialist in 4-H Youth Development, Indiana 4-H office

Inez Ponce de Leon (Ph.D., Focus on Science and Risk Communication, 2011), Associate Professor, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines, Department of Communication

Travis Scherer (B.S., Agricultural Education, 2001; MS., Youth Development and Agricultural Education, 2008), Agriculture Teacher, Tri-County Junior-Senior High School

Brittini R. Brown (Ph.D., Youth Development and Agricultural Education, 2016), Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Brittany Kloer (B.S., Agricultural Education, 2008), Career and Technical Education Area Director for the Area 18 CTE Cooperative

Megan Kuhn (B.S., Agricultural Communication, 1999), Communications Specialist/Assistant to the Dean for the Purdue University College of Agriculture

Denise Derrer (B.S., Agricultural Communication, 1990), Public Information Director for the Indiana State Board of Animal Health

Tracie Eggerr (B.S., Agricultural Communication, 1995; Ph.D. Agricultural and Extension Education, 2009), Leadership Training Specialist for AgReliant Genetics, Westfield, Indiana

Andrea Schwartz (B.S., Agricultural Education, 2006; M.S. Agricultural and Extension Education, 2011), Dean of the School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering & Applied Science and Associate Professor of Agriculture at Ivy Tech Community College-Lafayette.

Scott Stump (B.S., Agricultural Education, 1990)

Julia A. Wickard (B.S., Agricultural Communication, 1993)

Ann Camden (B.S., Agricultural Communication, 1993)

Scott W. Johnson (B.S., Agricultural Education and Agricultural Communication, 1992)

Darrell Allen (B.S., Agricultural Education,1982; M.S, Agricultural Education,1985)

Allan D. Goecker (B.S., Agriculture (Agricultural Education), 1964; M.S. , Agricultural Education, 1966) Ph.D., Agricultural Education, 1974

Robert Friar (B.S., Agricultural Education, 1956; M.S. Biological Sciences, 1959; Ph.D. Animal Sciences, 1967)

Eric Steiner (B.S., Agricultural Education, 2002)

Jane Ade Stevens (B.S., Agricultural Communication, 1976)